


The Rabbit on the Moon

by athousandwinds



Category: Fruits Basket
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-03-06
Updated: 2010-03-06
Packaged: 2017-10-07 18:38:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 611
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/68019
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/athousandwinds/pseuds/athousandwinds
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Bratty seven year old Kyou is bratty. Kazuma doesn't really mind.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Rabbit on the Moon

The lights from the main house blazed throughout the compound, casting long shadows onto the ground. Kazuma stepped silently over the grass, finding his way to an ornamental pond on the west side. He spent as little time as he could in the main house at New Year; the pond was invariably more peaceful, away from the music and laughter and the curious tension whenever people looked towards the hall where the Zodiac held their yearly banquet.

But too much serenity was perhaps not good for the soul.

"Shishou…" Kyou dragged his feet over the grass, clinging to Kazuma's hand with one hand, rubbing at his sleepy eyes with the other. Kazuma smiled at him as he sat down gracefully by the pool and pulled Kyou into his lap. "Shishou, why are we here?"

"Ssh, Kyou." Kazuma dropped a kiss onto the top of Kyou's head and chuckled when Kyou wriggled in disgust.

"'M tired." But Kyou quietened down a little, snuggling into Kazuma's embrace.

Kazuma held him for a few moments, gazing at the play of moonlight across the water. Then he said: "Do you know the story of the moon rabbit?"

"Naaah." Kyou twisted slightly, craning his neck to look up at him. "Why?"

"Look into the pool, Kyou. Do you see the moon's reflection? It made me think of it."

"Yeah, I see it." Kyou squirmed and Kazuma released him. Kyou didn't bother to stand up, but crawled over to the pond's edge. He dunked his fingers into the water, watching the ripples flow outwards from his movements.

"Try making patterns," Kazuma suggested, getting up and following Kyou over to the pond. Kyou trailed a few figure-of-eights into the water before asking:

"What's the story about, anyway?"

"Well," Kazuma shifted his position into a more comfortable one, "there's a rabbit on the moon, you see, and at night it comes down and guides lost travellers."

He had never been a good storyteller, but he wasn't expecting Kyou's sudden, loud laugh.

"That's stupid, Shishou." Kyou rolled over onto his back, looking up into Kazuma's face. "There aren't any rabbits on the moon."

Kazuma lifted his shoulders, smiling a bit. "That's the story."

"You actually _like_ that idea." Kyou grimaced, wrinkling his nose and sticking his tongue out. "You're so weird, Shishou."

"It's only a story." Kazuma dipped his cupped hand into the water and spilled it over Kyou's face. "If you're not careful, when the wind blows you'll stay like that."

Kyou sat up sharply, spluttering. Kazuma laughed as he pffted the droplets away from his nose and mouth, huffing. Kyou, he thought, really was a lot like a cat.

"Anyway," Kyou declared firmly, "that idiot couldn't give directions to his house from his own back garden, so there. It _is_ a stupid story."

"I barely started it," Kazuma could have argued, but he was too busy sniggering over Kyou's decidedly miffed expression. "Yes, yes, it is," he agreed, still gurgling.

Kyou made another face at him. "Eh, Shishou's crazy."

"I suppose so." Kazuma ruffled Kyou's hair affectionately. "And so is Kyou."

"Am not." Kyou looked even more disgruntled at this description of himself.

"All right." Kazuma got to his feet and caught Kyou by the armpits, lifting him up. "But he is sleepy. And oof! He's heavy, too."

"Don' want to go to bed," Kyou complained, yawning.

"Yes, you do." Kazuma smiled at him, making his way across the garden as if Kyou weighed nothing. "And tomorrow I'll teach you how to punch people."

"Gonna punch Yuki…" Kyou murmured in Kazuma's ear, his voice slurred.

"We'll see." Kazuma squeezed his shoulder in an awkward goodnight hug. "Nightnight, Kyou."


End file.
